Final Four Candidates of ``The Apprentice'' Participate in Well-Suited Task for Embassy Suites Hotels®; Challenge Results in Chic New Look for the 22-Year-Old Upscale Hotel Brand

Business Wire, May 18, 2006

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Embassy Suites Hotels(R), with nearly 190 hotels in the U.S., Canada and Latin America, will be a featured brand on NBC's "The Apprentice." On the second-to-last regular episode, airing Monday, May 22nd, 9 p.m. EDT/8 p.m. CDT, the task for the final four "Apprentice" candidates involves creating a differentiated product for the Embassy Suites brand.

While most "Apprentice" challenges ask candidates to create consumer-facing products and services, the Monday evening episode will task the final two teams with creating a new look for Embassy Suites team members (employees). Each team partnered with a well-known fashion firm to design new uniforms for team members at the brand's Embassy Suites Hotel in lower Manhattan. The product ultimately developed by the winning team will be rolled out to the entire hotel chain and its more than 30,000 team members in late 2006, making Embassy Suites Hotels one of only a handful of brands in "The Apprentice" history to move forward with a product designed on the popular NBC show.

"As a hotel brand, we continually strive for innovation, comfort and high quality for our guests," notes John Lee, Vice President, Brand Marketing & Communications, Embassy Suites Hotels, "but our team members are at the heart of everything we do," said Lee. "So, we decided to arrange the task to focus on them."

Unlike many other brands that have worked in partnership with a designer to create employee uniforms, Embassy Suites team members were integral players in the uniform development, themselves selecting the task winners on "The Apprentice" episode. Focus groups with hundreds of Embassy Suites employees across the country afterward further informed the development of the uniforms and revealed that team members' chief concerns about uniforms were fit, functionality and a professional look that would gain the respect of hotel guests.

Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr., playing a prominent role in the series this season, will oversee the Embassy Suites task, offering insight and advice to both sets of teams throughout the challenge, as well as during the "boardroom" portion of the show.

"'The Apprentice' continually looks to challenge its candidates with real world business tasks," said show creator and Executive Producer Mark Burnett. "This particular task will allow Donald Trump to observe the candidates' ability to be creative, develop a brand-appropriate product, and bring an idea to fruition."

To celebrate the brand's starring role on the hit show, an "Apprentice"-inspired omelet will be made available at all Embassy Suites Hotels through May 29th. "The Domelet," loaded with ham, cheese, peppers and topped with salsa and sour cream, will be featured at the brand's famous complimentary, cooked-to-order breakfast each morning. Also at the brand's complimentary two-hour evening Manager's Reception(a), every hotel will also be serving a "Gold Rush" cocktail and "Synergy" cocktail, in honor of the two competing teams on this season's "The Apprentice."

About Embassy Suites Hotels(R)

Embassy Suites Hotels is a member of the Hilton Family of Hotels and opened its first hotel in 1984. It was the first all-suite upscale hotel brand to enter the industry and today has nearly 190 hotels. To make reservations or learn the locations of Embassy Suites Hotels(R) in urban, suburban, airport and resort areas, travelers can visit the Embassy Suites Hotels Web site at www.embassysuites.com, call 1-800-EMBASSY or contact their professional travel agent.

Hilton Hotels Corporation (NYSE:HLT) is the leading global hospitality company, with nearly 2,800 hotels and 475,000 rooms in more than 80 countries, including 150,000 team members worldwide. The company owns, manages or franchises a hotel portfolio of some of the best known and highly regarded brands, including Hilton(R), Conrad(R), Coral by Hilton(R), Doubletree(R), Embassy Suites Hotels(R), Hampton Inn(R), Hampton Inn & Suites(R), Hilton Garden Inn(R), Hilton Grand Vacations(TM), Homewood Suites by Hilton(R), Scandic and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection(TM).

(a) Subject to state and local laws. Must be of legal drinking age.